Harness



(No Model.) SHERWOOD- HARNESS.

Patnted Dec. 16, 1884.

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iiniTsn STaTns PATENT @l l lfiht ALLEN SHEPAVOOD, OF AUBURN, NIMV YORK.

HARNESS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 309,317, dated December16, 1884.

\ Application lilul May 14, 1884.

To a whom it may cwwern:

Be it known that I, ALLEN Snnawoonya citizen of the United States,residing at'Auburn, in the county of Cayuga and State of New York, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Harness, of which thefollowing is a specification,referencebeing had therein to theaccompanying drawings.

My invention relates to that class of workharness which employs a yokesupported beneath the horses,and connected by short traces to the hames.and serving for the connection of the draft-chain between the horses,thereby dispensing with the use of ordinary traces, rendering thecontrol of plows much easier, and obviating injury to shrubbery andtrees by outside traces and projecting single-trees, providing a harnesswhich is as well adapted for use in connection with wagons, sleighs,stone-boats,drags,as well as other vehicles,implements, &c.; and myinvention consists in certain features of construction hereinafterdescribed, and the novel features of which are specifically set forth inthe claims.

Referring to the drawings, Figure l is a per spective illustrating themanner of using my improved work harness. Fig. 2 is a perspective of theyoke employed therein and de .tached therefrom. Fig.3 is a perspectiveview ofa portion of one of the segmental metal bellybands of the yokeand the back-strap hooked thereto. Fig. 4 is a vertical section throughthe back-strap and hook. Fig. 5 is a perspective of the steelyoke andcentral plate thereof.

A back-strap, A, is provided with a hooked clamp, A, at each end toconnect it with the ends of each segmental band B. This clamp A iscomposed of the skeletomt'rame a, having the hook a at the lower endthereof, and the transverse bar a, and around the latter the end of thestrap A is made to pass and extend upward beyond the top of the uppertransverse bar, a, of the frame, and at this point a light bar, a,provided with spurs a, is made to bear against the free end of thestrap, and said bar a is united to the bar a by screws to at each endthereof, with the spurs a in engagement with the back-strap A. Thesegmental bands 13 are provided at each end with permanent hooks b, toreceive one of the links of the chain forming one end of the shorttraces G, extending from the hames.

(No model.)

coming off the hooks b, the eyes I; are pivoted to the ends of thesegmental bands B close to the hooks I). These eyes receive thehooks ofthe back-strap A, and are provided with a lug, 0', adapted to projectover and within the hook b; but as these eyes I) are pivoted they can beswung back and out of the way when it is'desired to disconnect thetraces from the hooks upon the sectional bands B. The backstraps andbands are arranged to encircle the body of the horse, and the latter areprefer ably secured to the ends of the yoke proper, E, by means of theclevis D and bolt (1, and upon the latter is placed an adjustablylockednut, (P, so that these parts can at any time be adj usted, and too muchlooseness in the joints be prevented. The central part of the yoke isarched upwardly, as at e, andits ends curved, as at c, to conform to thecurvature of the bands B, whereby the central portion of the yoke, whenused in connection with draw-bars or draft-poles ot' wagons,cultivators, reapers, and other implements, passes over the same. Thehandle 1) is provided at the apex of the arch, by which it maybecarried, and aplate,

c, mounted thereon is provided with an eye to receive one end of adraft-chain, 1?,whereby means of connections with variousimplements andwith chains and ropes for various purposes are provided. The yoke E ismade of spring-steel brought to the proper shape and tempered, so thatin case of a sudden obstruction to theload being drawn by the team theyoke has a tendency to spring longitudinally and relieve theteam of theeffects of the obstruction. The bands B, being adapted to the shape ofthe body of each horse,prevent in such cases-that is to say, whenobstructions are met injury to the horses,while the yielding of the yokelaterally on account of its resilience, and the tendency of the apex thereof to be drawn rearwardly, or be tilted in connection with thebearing of the bands against the horses, materially reduces the shockwhich traces; but I prefer to use the eyes I), pivoted to the inner endof the hook, and provided with the lug b, to prevent the accidentalseparation of the chain from the segmental band.

I am well aware that it is not broadly new to construct work-harness,comprising the back-bands,short traces,and the lower bands, with rigidarched yokes and I therefore do not claim the same as my invention; but,

Having described my invention and its operation, what I claim is 1. Thecombination of the bands A, traces O, suitably connected to the hames,and the bands B,connected to thetraces, and pivotally mounted upon thespring-tempered arched steel yoke E, )rovided at its apex with means forconnecting the draft chain F, all constructed substantially as shown anddescribed.

2. As an improved article of manufacture, the spring-tempered steel yokeE, arched upward in the center of its length, and provided at that pointwith a perforated plate for c0nnection with a chain, and a perforationat each In testimony whereof I aflix my signature in presence of twowitnesses. v

ALLEN SHERWOOD.

W'itnesses:

1VIORTIMER V. AUSTIN, EDGAR H. TITUS.

